Diocese of Gary

A letter from Kev regarding the heat...

July 20, 2011

Dear Parents, Teens, and Youth Ministers:

Due to the extreme heat this week, we are taking steps to ensure the comfort and safety of all CYX participants this weekend.

While the forecast calls for a slight respite from the extreme heat, it is just that—slight—and there is some indication that temperatures could remain at dangerous levels.

First, for the sleeping hours Saturday night/Sunday morning, a decision has been made to move all participants into the one air conditioned dormitory made available to us by Valparaiso University. There will be no additional charge for parishes that elected the non-A-C rate.

In order to make this happen—and to ensure that females and males were confined to their own floors—we had to pair together some of our parishes with an odd number attendance for one sex or the other. For example, if Parish A sent 5 teens, and Parish B sent 3, it equals an even 4 rooms provided one individual from each group is willing to room together. This is actually seen by some teens as a positive, as they’d rather have a new friend for a roommate than room alone. We typically will not room teens from different parishes together, but under the circumstances it is necessary to do so to ensure comfort for all.

For seniors visiting Housing Opportunities on Saturday afternoon, the agency has assured us that they are securing mostly inside work, and any work that takes place outside will be limited. They will also provide plenty of water.

For all CYX participants, there will be very little time spent outside. Most all activities take place in air conditioned comfort. The only time a teen would have to spend outside is getting from location to location, and the distance between campus buildings is fairly short. All buildings are well-equipped with water fountains. During our “free time,” teens will be encouraged to enjoy the air conditioned comfort of the Harre Union, where we will have multiple activities for teens to choose, or they may take advantage of Valpo’s huge pool in the Athletics & Recreation Center.

If teens wish to do so, we will allow them to bring their own personal, re-usable water bottles to carry.

For teens and families attending “Pre-YX” Friday night at Nativity, we have moved most festivities—including musicians Jimmy & the Israelites and rapper JUSTUS—inside the Nativity Parish Hall. There will be water balloons outside, but certainly no bonfire!

If you have any questions whatsoever, please contact me at any time on my cellular phone, 219-552-4060.

I look forward to seeing you this weekend for another great Catholic Youth Xperience!

Blessings in a Christ Who TRANSFORMS,

Kevin J. Driscoll
Coordinator, Office for Youth & Young Adults

Remember, complete pre-conference info, including what to bring and what not to bring, is available here!

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